The Game Industry Salary Survey 2007

[09.03.07]- Jill Duffy

Seventy-three thousand dollars a year.

That's the number that got a little bit of buzz this year. It's the average salary of a game developer. But it's just a number, and it's nowhere near what entry-level candidates should vie for when sealing the deal of their first industry job; nor is it a perfect bar against which to measure game developer salaries regionally, since the cost of living varies drastically between states like California, Texas, and North Carolina.

Here, we take a more tailored look at the statistics in light of what someone new to the game industry would need to know by paring down the results of GameDeveloper's sixth annual salary survey.

An extended version of this article, including information about developers' average level of education, differences in pay by gender, and more, can be found in the April 2007 issue of Game Developer magazine, available for downloadable purchase for $3.95.